More Than a Scholarship

By: MJ Boice, Staff Writer

At NMFA, we know that when a military member serves, their entire family does, too. Nobody understands this more than a military spouse. Often facing education and career barriers due to their loved one’s military service, spouses put their own dreams on hold because of deployments, child care dilemmas, and moving to rural or overseas locations every few years. Some have even changed their degree major (or pursue a completely different career path) just so it would mesh with the military lifestyle.

Whether you’re a military spouse pursuing your associate’s degree, bachelors, and masters or beyond, we know everyone’s educational journey will look different; as will their career. There is no ’one-size-fits-all’ way to continue your personal or professional journey, and everyone knows “normal” is relative when living life as a military family.

That’s why NMFA’s Spouse Education + Employment program was designed with you in mind. We’ve thought of just about every possible scenario you might find yourself in when pursuing your education and offer scholarships and funding to fit your individual scenario. We even award money to spouse-owned businesses and help you pay to renew a professional license or certification when you move to another duty station.

The funding we offer to military spouses pursuing their career and education dreams are more than just scholarships for school. See what else NMFA and our partners can do to help you get closer to your goals:

Before her husband left the service, Air Force spouse Carlota Del Valle used the NMFA scholarship she was awarded to strengthen her command of the English language by attending ESL classes at the LADO International Institute. Spanish was her native tongue and she wanted to build on her foundational knowledge of the English language to help bridge the natural divide between military and civilian life. “One of the biggest challenges we face as military families is to integrate into society when our spouse ends their military career,” she said. “We must be equally prepared, so we can find our place apart from the military.”

Spouse-owned business and non-profit expenses- this includes entrepreneurs, LLCs, franchises, contractors, and other for-profit ventures, like direct sales!

It’s often falsely believed that having a career in direct sales isn’t a “real job,” but for many spouses, a direct sales business allows them to contribute to their family’s financial wellbeing while juggling the challenges associated with military life.

Coast Guard spouse Erin Olmstead became an Independent Consultant with Rodan + Fields for this very reason. “I wanted to bring residual income to my household without sacrificing family time,” she said. When she first became a consultant, she was already working a full time job, which was another reason she was drawn to Rodan + Fields. “I just grew tired of having to quit my job every time we moved,” said Erin, adding “I just wanted something to call my own, and to be able to own my own business means a lot to me.”

Erin used the $1000 she received from NMFA to offer incentives to join her team, help grow her customer base, and to attend the company’s corporate convention for additional education and training.

How many scholarships do you know of that could do all of that for a spouse-owned business?

Whether you’re looking to start or continue your education, or build and maintain your own business venture, we want to help you succeed. NMFA’s scholarships are open now through January 15, 2018 and we want YOU to apply!